Las Vegas Gunman Identified As Stephen Paddock

Suspected gunman who opened fire at the Las Vegas music festival Route 91 Harvest, killing more than 50 and wounding over 200 others, has been identified by authorities as Stephen Paddock.

Paddock, 64, began shooting from a Las Vegas hotel onto the outdoor country music festival (across the road from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino), and is at the center of what is being reported as the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.

Authorities allege the domestic terrorist died in a standoff on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, according to TIME.

Police say Paddock had been traveling with a woman companion. "We're confident but not 100% sure we've located the female person of interest," the sheriff said Monday (Oct 2), according to CNN, identifying her as Marilou Danley and describing her as Asian.

Footage of the attack suggest Paddock was using an automatic weapon.

As far as motives are concerned, "We have no idea what his belief system was," Lombardo said. "Right now, we believe he was the sole aggressor and the scene is static."

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A Chicago man who accused a retired cop of framing him for a murder he didn't commit has finally had the conviction overturned after spending 17 years in prison.

According to Buzzfeed News, Geraldo Iglesias was released from prison in 2010 for the 1993 murder of Monica Roman, who was shot and killed while sitting inside her car in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. However, Iglesias spent the last nine years fighting to have the conviction removed from his record because it prohibited his ability to get a job or find housing.

Iglesias is the 10th man to have a conviction overturned after being investigated by Reynaldo Guevara. Buzzfeed invested the former detective and found 50 men accused him of framing them for murders they allege they didn't commit.

At Iglesias' 1995 sentencing, he spoke directly to the victim's family and expressed his condolences while maintaining his innocence.

"I would like to say that I apologize and I’m sorry for what happened to the young lady and I send my condolences to the family but I would like to say I had nothing to do with it and the Lord knows I had nothing to do with it.”

Iglesias' conviction was sealed on the testimony of a jailhouse informant Francisco Vicente who alleged Islesias confessed to him about killing Roman. Vicente said Iglesias said, "I shot the bitch in the head.”

In the past Guevara and his partner, Ernest Halvorsen have used the 5th Amendment rights to avoid self-incrimination. Buzzfeed reports at least 17 defendants who allege Guevara framed them are still behind bars.

President Donald Trump has no public events scheduled for Dr. Martin Luther King day.

On Friday (Jan. 18) the president signed a proclamation in which encouraged “all Americans to recommit themselves to Dr. King’s dream by engaging in acts of service to others, to their community, and to our Nation.” The Daily Beast reports. However, Trump may not have included himself in the proclamation.

NEW: @realDonaldTrump won't be participating in any Martin Luther King Jr. Day service activities tomorrow. According to the White House schedule, he "has no public events scheduled."

— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) January 21, 2019

While the president's plans on the national day of service are unclear, Vice President Mike Pence compared Dr. King's legacy of peace to the current U.S. partial government shutdown.
On CBS’s Face the Nation Sunday (Jan. 20) Pence quoted the late civil rights leader.

"One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King was, ‘Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy,’” Pence said. "You think of how he changed America. He inspired us to change through the legislative process, to become a more perfect union...That’s exactly what President Trump is calling on Congress to do: Come to the table in the spirit of good faith.

We’ll secure our border. We’ll reopen the government and we’ll move our nation forward as the president said yesterday to even a broader discussion about immigration reform in the months ahead.”

As of Jan. 21, the United States government has been shut down for 31 days. More than 800,000 federal employees have gone without pay due to an impasse between the Democratic Congress and the White House. Donald Trump has asked for $5.7 billion for a U.S.-Mexico wall, while the Democrats are refusing to budge.

The announcement is somewhat expected from the California Democratic senator who has not-so coyly led up to Monday's announcement (Jan. 21) by way of the press run she's conducted earlier this month as part of her book tour.

In a video clip posted to her social media prior to an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America, Sen. Harris called on her supporters to "claim their future."

"Justice. Decency. Equality. Freedom. Democracy. These aren't just words. They're the values we as Americans cherish. And they're all on the line now."

"The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values," Harris continued. "That's why I'm running for president of the United States. "I'm running to lift those voices, to bring our voices together."

Harris is the first black woman to throw her hat in the 2020 presidential ring. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have announced exploratory committees. Harris, however, has bypassed that.

Harris gained national attention (and favor) during the Brett Kavanaugh hearing when she grilled the future Supreme Court justice about sexual assault allegations leveled against him by Dr. Betty Ford.